Cosette
Cosette (born 1815) is one of the main characters in the series. 'Background/Part in story' She starts off around age three, running through a field of flowers as she and her mother Fantine try to find a new home and job. Their search is troubling, considering no one wishes to hire anyone with a child. However, Cosette and her mother meets the Thénardier's who offer to take in Cosette in exchange for money. Though Fantine does not wish to leave her daughter behind, she agrees to leave Cosette with them and set off to the city. However, as soon as she leaves, Cosette is immediately dressed in rags and put to work. Madame Thénardier forces hard labor on her and doesn't allow her daughters Eponine and Azelma to interact with her which causes them to become cruel, believing they are better than her. Cosette does manage to befriend an infant Gavroche and sings her mother's lullaby to put him to sleep. Six years later, she is still deeply abused by the Thénardiers and their daughters, but remains optimistic that her mother will soon return to her. She passess the time with chores, and spending time with Gavroche who acts as a little brother to her and does not mistreat her in the least. The two soon find Chou Chou who follows them home one day. They try to hid him but are immediately caught after he destroys Eponine's dress and sheets. Madame Thénardier beats Cosette for keeping her from killing Chou Chou, but either didn't know that Cosette and Gavroche kept the dog or simply ignored it. Fantine constantly spends money to cover Cosette's "expensives", but the money is squandered by the Thénardiers. Monsieur Thénardier even writes letters claiming that Cosette is sick and needs money for medicine in order to gain money from her. Despite this, Fantine manages to buy Cosette a warm skirt for the winter (which is given to Azelma) and cross-stitched bag of poperie (which Eponine throws away but is later recovered by Gavroche). Soon, the money stops coming, and the Thénardiers blame Cosette's mother for it, to which she quickly defends. Due to these financial problems, the Thénardiers unregretably send Gavroche to work at the Blacksmith's shop, who is followed by Chou Chou by Cosette's order, leaving her alone. On Christmas Eve night, Eponine and Azelma empty the water bucket as a prank so that Cosette will have to venture into the woods alone. As she struggles with the heavy bucket, a stranger comes up behind her and snatches the bucket from her, claiming it is too heavy for a child like her. The stranger, Jean Valjean, takes Cosette back to the village and asks her various questions about her, soon discovering that she is the child he has been looking for. He spends the night at the inn and persuades the Thénardiers into giving her food and rest for money. He also gives her her first doll, Catherine. The next morning, Thénardier comes up with a sceme to milk Valjean for as much money with he can, using Cosette as a sob story. However, Valjean backfires and ask that instead of paying for her medical expenses, if he could just take her instead. Thénardier agrees but only after Valjean pays him 1,500 francs. Cosette is reluctant to go, worried that her mother will come for her and she won't be there. Thénardier almost uses this as a way to get more money out of Valjean but is in vain when Valjean pulls out a note from Fantine stating that he had permission to take her away. After bestowing her mourning clothes, the two set off for Paris. After a mishap during a detour in which Catherine is almost lost, the two arrive in a shabby apartmentat the Gorbeau House just inside the city, and he and Cosette live there happily for a few months. However, Javert discovers their wereabouts and they are forced to flee. They manage to find refuge in the Petit-Pipus convent where they are discovered by Fauchelevent, the man Valjean saved before, who is the gardener. He divisious a plan to have Valjean re-enter the convert as his brother by putting his body in a empty casket to be buried in the false tomb for one of the deceased sisters. During this time, Cosette waits at a fruit stand where she waits anxiously for her father to return. She begins to believe that he abandoned her like her mother did until he arrives. They re-enter (secretly) the convert and Cosette becomes the newest student there. She is instantly flooded with admiration and attention from her peers and becomes instant friends with all of them, especially Charlotte, Beatrice, and Audrey. Five years pass and Cosette is now a beautiful young lady with a taste for freedom and adventure. Despite how Mother Innocente had hopes that Cosette would join the nunnery, she allows her and Valjean to leave, stating that she wanted Cosette's happiness above anything else. After a tearful departure, Cosette and Valjean set off to live in upper-middle class Paris where they preform charitable deeds such as voluteering at the churches and helping the poorer citizens. During a walk in the park, Cosette spots a young man named Marius who also notices her. This sets off a spark of romance that Valjean mistakes as an attempt to get him arrested which causes the family to move twice to avoid detection. During one of the moves, she reconnects with Eponine who reveals that the reason that she was so bitter to Cosette as a child was because her mother was always there but didn't ultimately care about her while Cosette's mother loved her a great deal. With the reluctant help of Eponine, Marius and Cosette are able to meet in secret up until the Revolution. During this event, Cosette is seen constantly praying for Marius's and Valjean's safe return. Shortly after the Revolution, Marius proposes to Cosette and invites his aunt and uncle to attend the wedding. After the wedding, Valjean suddenly dissapears. He is soon detected but is on his death bed and summons Cosette and Valjean at once. He reveals to them his life story of being a criminal and the promise he made to Cosette's mother, apologizing that he hadn't done as well as he should have. Cosette tearfully tells him that he was the best father that he could be and that she loved him. She held his hand as he died with the spirits of Fantine and the Bishop to lead him home. Approximately three years after the happenings of the series, Cosette and Marius have had a daughter that is almost identical to her with exception of her red hair which she claimed from her father. She asks her mother about the necklace she is wearing and Cosettes states that it is a gift that she will receive when she is older. Differences from Novel *Cosette's character isn't really expressed in the nove, despite being clearly explained. Her childhood with the Thénardiers is basically blacked-out, thus little is known about how she was really treated, although there are many chapters devoted to it. Also, the novel does not really express the want Cosette feels for her mother, as she barely knew her mother. *In both the novel and anime, she was beaten and abused. *Cosette had little if any relationship with Gavroche. In the novel he is still an infant and is later kicked out as the Thénardiers go further into debt, and because his mother hates him. Personality Despite Cosette's abuse, she is a happy, kind child who enjoys simple pleasures such as sleeping in a real bed and reading. When ever she feels low, she reminds herself that her mother will return soon and they will be able to live together forever. Quotes "It's all right, Mother will be coming back soon." Category:characters